Say A Pyre For Me
by ovp
Summary: "All we can do now is pray we don't fail." The raven haired man whispered quietly trying to reassure himself. They both looked forward and saw Paula placing flowers on her daughter's grave before quietly wheeling away. *Hints of Spitfire*


I am supposed to be writing chapter 3 for _Cat and Mouse_, the sequel to _Sweet Affection_, and the next chapter in _The Nose Knows_. But I was attacked by feels and I had to write this. But do not fear where I am right now it's pouring outside and I've committed myself to remain in my seat for the entire day so hopefully I'll get everything I need to get done. I thought I'd take this opportunity to thank all the people who review **_Zoo. _**It got a lot of reviews and I really appreciate it because it is those kinds words that inspire me to keep on writing.

** CueMysteriousMusicRiteNow: **I think it's just such as easy misconception because given that Lian has reddish hair and both of our favorite red heads are dating half Vietnamese girls it would be a very easy mistake leading to hilarious results. I'd love to this in the show.

**Reina Grayson: **Thanks for the review!

**Samian: **Thanks! Great to hear from you!

**PrincessLazyPants: **Thanks. I know the title was kind of confusing but I just felt it fit the situation so well. Yeah, in my mind they would go there first because I'm not sure Jade would be very welcome at the League.

**M:** I might do another who knows. I've added your suggestion to my list of prompts. It's a very good idea to keep in the back of my mind because I imagine (given Dinah's reaction to M'gann impersonating her) she'd be none to thrilled at the baby. But yes I will keep your suggestion in mind. :)

**Abbie Brown: **Thanks!

**rogue42197: **Thanks for the review!

**novabomb: **Ah yes another request for Dinah and Ollie. It is on my prompt list it definitely is an interesting idea I will keep in mind.

**randommonkeyz998: **I'm so glad to receive your review! Thanks!

**YJ-Lover: **Very nice! I love you entering the story! Thanks for the review!

**Gimpyslair: **Thanks for the review! I'm glad you think it was canon I'm worried it might have come off a little too crazy - even for Artemis and Wally.

**alamodie: **Even I can't believe it. Trust me. I am supposed to be writing other things not being attacked by feels that force me not keep writing what I should. I need to finish my other stories! Sighs. Your review is appreciate though!

**ElricKeyblade: **Thank you for the review! I love those parts too. Bart will be the death of me if he keeps revealing information. I need to concentrate on my other stories though and not get attacked by feels. Thanks for the review!

**Keepmovingforward2: **Thanks for the review!

**candi711: **I'm glad you like that line I loved writing it!

**SpitfireChick: **Ah yes poor clueless Wally! You have to love the wall-man! Thanks for the review!

**GIRLWONDER: **I'm glad you liked it!

**argent98: **Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad I made you laugh.

**tomboys rule girly girls suck: **Exactly let's save the world get rid of the hiatuses and just get to the end of the series where they get together forever. Thanks!

**j9162: **Of course Wally and Artemis must be together and hopefully based on today's episode they will be! Let's hope the future is a brighter one. Thanks for the review!

**Dextra2: **Thank you for the review!

**Ally Marton: **I love the 'impulsive' pun very clever - he really is impulsive that devilish little Bart Allen. I agree poor Wally why do I place you in these situations? He really is in trouble, maybe he should start charging rent. Thank you for the review Ally!

**Irenerb: **Thank you for the review!

**Chaos Dragon: **I'm so glad I made you laugh! I might expand on it I've gotten a lot of requests for more - especially since people want to see Oliver and Dinah's reaction. Thanks for the review!

_Thanks to silent reviewers._

___Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or its characters._

* * *

**Say a Pyre for Me**

* * *

"Our friendship is over." Those were the only words Wally had uttered or hurtled at Nightwing at the funeral – eyes livid and lips set. Most of the team members watched silently and forlornly from the periphery of the burial site warily watching for any sign that Wally would lash out and strike at his former friend. None came. Wally had, for at least two seconds, acknowledged him. He hadn't even glanced, or said hello to anyone else on the team an action that was accepted by the older members who understood why he was so intolerable at the moment but the younger members fidgeted nervously trying to think of a way out of this horrible situation. M'gann was kneeling on the ground crying and Conner just looked on jaw set and tense. The members who had known Artemis were sadly slumped in various chairs since the priest had finished talking as they attempted to not only pacify themselves but think of some sort of words to say to the receiving line by the grave site without themselves breaking down into shaking sobs. The members who had never known the fallen on archer looked on dazedly because they were finally awakening to reality of the life they had chosen.

Some members of the League were there. Dinah and Oliver were standing close to Paula but neither of them appeared able to form any sort of condolences. Other League members just automatically said their words and left, off to fight crime like Artemis would never do again.

Then there was **her **family. Paula was slumped over in her wheelchair crying silently, eyes wide. She had adamantly refused to have an open casket burial because she didn't want to look on the face of her deceased daughter. Both Roys were present the younger counterpart attached to the older and his wife like a lost son frowning as he struggled to understand the situation he had been thrust into. Nightwing felt sorry for the boy barely unthawed and already being so out of the loop and dragged into uncomfortable situations. He knew deep in his heart they would find a way to make him a fighter again. Jade was there silently holding her daughter, a daughter not even Wally had known about, although in passing he mentioned _Artemis would have loved to have been an Aunt. _But Jade wasn't crying merely glaring at the coffin with unconcealed hate before her eyes snapped up to meet his over the crowd. He didn't need a psychic link to know she wanted to talk to him. The only person missing from Artemis's small family was her father. Not that he was on the guest list.

Then there was Wally's family. A family that had come to love Artemis as their own. Mary and Iris were crying uncontrollably being weakly comforted by their significant others who looked equally shaken that such a vivacious and happy person had been snuffed out by none other than her former comrade. Joan and Jay were there sagely watching the unfolding scene of anguish and pain, an anxious looking Bart Allen between them whose gaze kept swiveling between Wally and Dick and he was biting his lip and his small fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were turning white. He had never even met Artemis yet it appeared that whispers of tears were forming in his green eyes.

It was a heartbreaking sight.

Dick vaguely wondered if they had let them in the loop if things would be different. But, no, if any more people knew it would just jeopardize all the hard work and sacrifices the four of them had made to take down the Light. Sacrifices. That was all they ever seemed to do anymore. He'd lied to Zatanna. He'd ripped two lovers apart. He'd let someone valiant be labeled a villain. Yet, here he remained unscathed. It was both frustrating and heartbreaking. But his reverie was broken when he felt a hurried tug on his arm and his eyes settled on the vibrating form of a crying Bart Allen.

"It's my fault!" he blurted brokenly.

"What are you talking about?" Dick asked genuinely confused as he dragged the blabbermouth away from the mourners. The last thing anyone needed was more spoilers for a future that may or may not exist.

"I crashed the mode," he hurried on mumbling words at an almost incomprehensible speed, "If I saved grandpa, if I changed the future the mode was supposed to crash. Crash! Change the way things were! Aunt Artemis wasn't supposed to die! She wasn't. I swear. Wally loves her so much! She...I never wanted it to happen and now it has and it's my fault." The boy hiccupped as he struggled to breathe. Dick didn't even know where to begin with that.

"I'm not sure what a _mode _is," said a saucy voice behind him, "But I would like you to tell me where my sister is." Jade stood tall in all her fearsome glory, her eyes narrowed and hair erratic. She had worn white, the traditional color of mourning in Vietnamese families, which contrasted greatly with everyone else's black attire but she hung her head high and proud – her eyes boring into his with malice. Even now the blades she had drawn glinted brilliantly in the cloudy, murky daylight as she challenged him like a ghost of death.

The only way to handle Jade, as he had learned from Artemis and experience, was to be blunt. Very blunt. "She's in that hole over there." Bart was gripping his arm in a whole different way as he stared at Jade – his form seemed to radiate some sort of relief.

"You're Lian's mom," he stated biting his lip before continuing on, "Since the future's so messed up anyway. Protect her. I don't want to go to another funeral. Spoilers." Dick didn't even bother clamping a hand over the boy's mouth. There was no point. He clearly was driven to make no attempt to curb his spoilers if it meant saving the people he cared about – which was both endearing and dangerous and half the time didn't make sense. Jade made a strangled noise in the back of her throat but the boy quickly scampered away at the gesturing of his adoptive great grandparents. He even ran over and attempted to hug Wally whose eyes remained fixated on a figure standing about three rows over who was apparently visiting a grave. Vaguely Dick recognized the stature of the outsider and mentally sighed. Those two were just too in love for their own good.

"What was that thing?" asked Jade reclaiming his attention when she threw a blade at his feet. He didn't even flinch.

"That was Bart Allen. From the future."

"I'll kill him later, but you," she turned towards him, "Where is my sister?"

"She's dead Jade."

Jade scoffed, "You don't actually expect me to believe that, Bat Boy? We trained together for years and I was never even able to touch her with my blade and you expect me to believe your psychotic ex-teammate was able to do what I couldn't?"

"She was rusty."

"Crocks don't get rusty. We get even."

"Artemis is dead, Jade." At this point he was also trying to convince himself because if he didn't hold onto this feeling there was no way he'd ever be able to keep up the charade for long. Jade's eyes appraised him critically.

"I will find out," she said evenly as the Roys, the clone Roy holding a cooing Lian approached the pair, "I've worked with the Shadows long enough to know how they operate. Don't think your ruse can fool everyone." She took her child from Roy and sent him one last tepid glance, "Whatever you're planning I hope you know what you're doing. I hate seeing my mom cry." The veiled threat was not lost on Nightwing as the Harper clan stormed away leaving an icy trail in their wake.

For the next half hour Dick robotically went through the motions that were expected of him. He sent the team home, giving M'gann a squeeze on the shoulder and even encouraged Conner to help comfort the grieving Martian. He said his final condolences to both Wally's and Artemis's families, keenly aware that one speedster was absent from the group.

"He'll come around," said Barry apprehensively gripping Iris's sagging shoulders clearly worried the strain was too much for her.

Dick shook his, "No. I'm pretty sure I crossed a line." Barry let a frown grace his face.

"I'll watch over him. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Thanks." Paula was by far the hardest to talk to. She was mumbling incoherent Vietnamese prayers and charms her hands employed with fraying the edges of her sleeves.

"It will be alright." They were the only words he could offer. The closest he would ever come to revealing the truth till this nightmare was over.

"Eventually," she whispered eyes barely traveling to him but her voice was lined with an emotion that suggested she knew more than she was letting on. "Thank you for coming. You and the team you meant a lot to her."

Dick nodded, "She meant a lot to us too."

A few more tears leaked from Paula's eyes, "Could you leave me alone with her now. I just want a few minutes by myself." Dick quietly excused himself and proceeded to wander around the graveyard till he spotted his ex-best friend sitting on a secluded bench. Carefully scanning the area he dropped down beside him.

"You got a little something there on your lip," said Dick tersely eyebrows furrowing as he used his thumb to wipe off the imaginary lipstick as his best friend hurriedly mirrored his motions scrubbing at his lips.

"Ha, ha, ha. Right. You know this whole dead girlfriend thing really is kind of thrilling."

"That's not funny," snapped Nightwing exasperated why did Wally have to develop a sense of humor at the worse possible times? "She can't keep blowing her cover like this."

"It's her own funeral. She wanted to make sure it was done right."

"If she means is everyone heartbroken and devastated, then yes, it was done right."

"She said Sportsmaster was here and grinning like the demented fuck he is," said Wally pensively looking around.

"Jade's not convinced."

"Didn't think she would be," Wally sighed pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes, "Do you think this will actually work? I mean this is so crazy."

"They have each other," said Richard bringing his hands together and resting his elbows on his knees, "At least they aren't alone down there. Besides Artemis cares way to much about you to let anything stop her." A smile tugged at Wally's lips as he brought a jewelry box out of his pocket and held it up to Nightwing's line of vision.

"Is that?"

"Yup. When it's all over and we're both free." Dick sighed. So much was at stake. Too much was at stake.

"All we can do now is pray we don't fail." The raven haired man whispered quietly trying to reassure himself. They both looked forward and saw Paula placing flowers on her daughter's grave before quietly wheeling away.

"It can't fail."


End file.
